An excessively wide weld bead with rather straight ripples during SMAW means that your travel speed is too ______.

• A. Fast
• B. Slow
• C. Medium
• D. Very Slow

Answer: (B)

Travel speed directly controls heat input per inch of weld. Moving the electrode too slowly keeps heat in the joint longer, which melts more base metal and deposits more weld metal in each inch. That extra heat makes the molten pool spread wider, producing an excessively wide bead. The ripple pattern tends to look straighter and less varied because the weld progresses with less rapid side-to-side motion, reinforcing a wide, smooth bead. In contrast, faster travel reduces heat input, giving a narrower bead and more pronounced, tighter ripples.